Google’s ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Clause Removed From its Code of Conduct

For the longest time, ‘Don’t Be Evil’ was Google’s official mantra. It was lauded by the company’s executives so much that they added several clauses within Google’s code of conduct that is distributed to the employees. However, the mantra has now been nixed from the code of conduct, as reported by Gizmodo.

When Google parent Alphabet was born back in 2015, the Mountain View giant had shed this ‘negative-sounding’ motto and replaced it with a more positive and inspiring one, i.e “do the right thing”. It, however, now seems that the company has updated its code of conduct to reflect the same.

Going back in time with the Wayback Machine, Gizmodo found the section of the ‘code of conduct’ that talked about the ‘Don’t Be Evil’ motto. It dates back to May 4 and reads as under:

“Don’t be evil.” Googlers generally apply those words to how we serve our users. But “Don’t be evil” is much more than that. Yes, it’s about providing our users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services that we can. But it’s also about doing the right thing more generally – following the law, acting honorably, and treating co-workers with courtesy and respect.

The Google Code of Conduct is one of the ways we put “Don’t be evil” into practice. It’s built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. We set the bar that high for practical as well as aspirational reasons: Our commitment to the highest standards helps us hire great people, build great products, and attract loyal users. Trust and mutual respect among employees and users are the foundation of our success, and they are something we need to earn every day.

So please do read the Code, and follow both its spirit and letter, always bearing in mind that each of us has a personal responsibility to incorporate, and to encourage other Googlers to incorporate, the principles of the Code into our work. And if you have a question or ever think that one of your fellow Googlers or the company as a whole may be falling short of our commitment, don’t be silent. We want – and need – to hear from you.

However, if you now take a close look at the new version of the code of conduct (which is said to have been updated back on April 5th, 2018) that is distributed to employees now features ‘almost’ nothing of that sort. Instead, it a now clear message about what the company expects of its employees. It reads,

The Google Code of Conduct is one of the ways we put Google’s values into practice. It’s built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. We set the bar that high for practical as well as aspirational reasons: Our commitment to the highest standards helps us hire great people, build great products, and attract loyal users. Respect for our users, for the opportunity, and for each other are foundational to our success, and are something we need to support every day.

So please do read the Code and Google’s values, and follow both in spirit and letter, always bearing in mind that each of us has a personal responsibility to incorporate, and to encourage other Googlers to incorporate, the principles of the Code and values into our work. And if you have a question or ever think that one of your fellow Googlers or the company as a whole may be falling short of our commitment, don’t be silent. We want – and need – to hear from you.

Google has, however, still given its previous motto a nod at the end of the newer code of conduct document, which reads, “And remember…don’t be evil, and if you see something that you think isn’t right – speak up!” So, it seems Google still has a sense of humor and cannot give up on its original motto oh-so-easily.